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Friday, 19 June 2009

from Ice Cream to Cake

Just like the fast few years, I made a cake to celebrate this year's Father's Day, last Sunday.

It was only two days ago that I realised that Father's Day falls on this Sunday, I got it mixed up with Mother's Day...which is the second Sunday in May. I kept thinking that it is also the same for Father's Day :')

Anyway, it was a good thing that we celebrated the occasion one week earlier, as we will be celebrating another occasion this coming weekend.

I am no good at frosting a cake, so I always have to rely on other ingredients to make the cake 'presentable'. Canned peaches happen to be one of the few fool-proof ingredients I have been using on countless occasions.

Although I have made a mango yoghurt cake, my lack of skills have prompted me to fall back on peach slices...again!

Very much inspired by Small Small Baker's mango yoghurt ice cream, I wasted no time to try making it once I got hold of all the necessary ingredients. Thanks to the blender which I have been hoarding, I was able to make my first homemade ice cream! It was so delicious and simple to prepare that I adapted the same ice cream recipe to make the fillings for this layered cake ;)

I liked the way the cake has turned out...the filling tasted almost similar to the ice cream version, light and refreshing! The layering was quite even as I was diligent enough to use a measuring cup to measure out equal amount of filling for each layer. I would have added chunks of fresh mangoes in between the fillings if I had any spare mangoes. I am sure it will make this cake even more delicious.

Sift cake flour, set aside. Line the sides and bottom of an 18cm (7 inches) round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.

With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter double in volume and is ribbon-like (the batter should leave a ribbon-like trail when the beater is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.

Add sifted cake flour into the batter in 3 separate additions. Gently fold in the flour with a spatula each time the flour is added. Take care not to deflate the batter.

Add the melted butter, fold with spatula until well blended

Add in fresh milk, vanilla extract and fold in gently with spatula.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30~35 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, remove parchment paper and let cool completely.

To make the filling:

Measure water into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (without stirring with a spoon). Set aside to allow the gelatin grains to swell (10 mins) before setting the bowl over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon and once the gelatin melts, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.

If desired, remove about 1 cup of the above mixture, set aside to use for piping.

Add in the gelatin solution to the remaining mixture, mix well.

To assemble:

Slice the cake horizontally into 3 layers. For each layer, trim away the sides by about 2~3mm, so that the resulting layers are slightly smaller than 18cm. (This is to make sure the mango filling can cover the sides of the sponge layer.)

Place one layer of the sponge cake in an 18cm round pan with a removable base (or use a cake ring or springform pan). Spread about 1.5 cups of mango filling on the sponge layer. Repeat with the second layer of sponge cake, followed by the filling. Place the last layer of sponge cake and spread the remaining filling on the surface evenly. Gently tap/bang the pan on the table to remove any empty air pockets in between the sponge layers and the filling. Leave the cake to chill in the fridge for at least 3 ~4 hours.

Remove cake from fridge, unmold and decorate as desired (pipe rosettes or borders using the reserved mango filling in step 10). Keep the cake in the fridge before serving.

(Note:
*This cake can be made with a 20cm (8") pan, the resulting cake will be slightly shorter.
**To arrange the peach slices as what I have done, start by arranging the outer ring of peach slices. To make the rosette in the middle, slice peach slices till very thin. Arrange these thinly sliced peaches in concentric circles...work from the outside towards the inside. The outermost peaches will provide support for the inner ones to prevent it from sliding. Hope I am clear with my description.)

Hi HHB,This is such a pretty cake, I'm sure it's very flavourful as the mango ice cream really fantastic. I would like to learn from you, the way you make the cake so neat and nicely decorated. That's a very good job!

Hi HHB,Can I know whether the cake need to be store in a freezer or fridge? What makes the cream stay firm without melting if keep in the fridge? Sorry that I'm asking silly questions but I really like to try this recipe. Thanks!

OMG!! The frosting looks so professional and yet you lament that you are no good at frosting *faints* Wait till u see mine, then you will know the meaning of not good. I am soo going to give tgghis recipe a try!! Thanks!!

Hi SSB, it is not exactly an ice cream cake as I didn't freeze it ;) For the border which I have piped, there was no gelatin in it. It was able to hold it's shape. Maybe you can try without the gelatin, but leave the cake to set over-night before unmoulding. I think it may work...worst come to worst, u can freeze the cake?! If not, to play safe, maybe you can try using agar agar powder instead. I hope you can give it a try. I will be making a durian version soon ;)

Hi Grace, I didn't do anything to the sides of the cake, the filling just set nicely after I unmold the cake. I rely on fool-proof methods as I can't frost a cake properly! I added gelatin to the filling, so the cake need not be stored in the freezer, I just kept it in the fridge.

Hi Skinnymum, great to hear that I am also not the only blur one ;)I can only manage simple cakes and rely on ingredients to decorate a cake, anyone can make this cake :)

Honey Bee Sweets, yes, he likes it as it is quite light and not sweet :D

Hi stay-at-home mum, other than the ugly border I piped, there is no frosting required, it is quite a fool-proof cake, do give it a try and I hope you will like it! Have fun!

Hi HHB,You're just too humble! You said you can't frost a cake well, but you can decorate with other stuff. That's really good. The border you have piped is a scroll, and it's very well done! I love the way you arranged the peaches.Btw, how did you remove the cake ring? Did you use a blow torch to remove it? I've only used the cake ring once, didn't dare to try again after that one time. :pThanks again for generously sharing your recipes! :)

hiits just nice, i have a 2 day old peach and mango yoghurt sitting in the fridge. i was going to make your other cake (sponge cake with peach and cream filling) for father's day but if i'm feeling adventurous on sunday, i'll try this :-)

i used your sponge cake recipe (the std one you have) as cupcakes, they turned out very light and fluffy. unlike me, my son hates heavy, rich cakes so your sponge cake recipe is a hit with him. thanks so much.

Hi Jane, thanks for telling me that the border is called a scroll...I wanted to pipe those shell-like shapes but has no idea how it is being done. I guess this is called "误打误撞"?!I didn't use a cake ring (I don't have one), I used my cake pan which comes with a removable base. There is no need to line the base with clingwrap or foil (it won't leak) and there is no need to use a blow torch (I would never use one, as I would likely set my kitchen on fire!). Simply place a tall glass or a can (soft drink cans) and slide the outer piece/ring down to unmold. In case you are interested, I got the 18cm pan from Phoon Huat, at around $5 plus.

Hi golfmum, have fun making the cake. I hope you and your family will like it :)

Hi HHB,Thanks for sharing your "secret" with me. Removable cake pan sounds like a good idea. I bought a few cake rings and haven't been using them. Btw, I have cake pan sizes from 7" - 10". I think I have more baking pans than what your sons have assessment books! Hahaha... Sorry, not boasting, but just to let you know that I love to buy baking accessories. :p Ya, your "误打误撞" until you piped a scroll. All so neat and consistent. I'm still trying to get the consistency in my piping.;p Thanks again for sharing.

its a lovely cake.do you whisk the non-daily whipped cream while it is cold or at room temperature ? after folding into the mango mixture, do we need to blend thoruoughly using blender ?thanks in advance. Joan

Hi Stephy, I am not good at slicing the sponge cake either :) But it is easier if you use a long serreated knife to slice the cake. Hope this helps.

Hi Joan, I whisk the cream while it is cold...it is easier to whip cream (both dairy and non-dairy) when it is cold. Take out the cream from the fridge only when you are ready to whisk it.After folding in the mango mixture, there is no need to blend it again.

I am a beginner baker and I would love to try making this cake soon. My question is what kind of yoghurt you used - the frozen kind or softer texture kind found in the dairy isle. Thanks for sharing your recipes.

Hi KD, I sued the softer texture kind of yoghurt found at the dairy isle.

Hi Sleepycat, thanks for the kind advise, I am very much aware of it, but my family members do not like the stronger taste of dairy cream. That's why I only frost cakes with whipping cream on special occasions.

hi HHB, i gave this recipe a try becoz its my 1st time doing a fully frosted & decorated (kinda) cake for my hubby's bday & it looked simple enuff.

can i ask, how do u incorporate the melted butter into e flour,egg & sugar mixture? bcoz i had a hard time mixing/folding & by the time im done, i believe the air were all burst.

my cake didnt raise a lot bcoz i used 8in pan. However after i've frosted e cake & left it in e fridge, when i cut the cake, the cake was hard! i was expecting to be like a more dense but still slightly soft texture. i think my butter wasn't well incorporated.

What do u think? can u give me some advice?? thanks a lot! (btw i tried piping too, but the pattern from e nozzle didnt last. is it bcoz i used e left over frosting from the sides which contain gelatin? cant be right? coz gelatine helps to stabilise...supposedly...

Hi Serene, I have just answered a similar question, you may hop over to my recent post "Happy Birthday" under the comments section. You can also take a look at the comment which I posted in my old post under "Strawberry Sponge Cake I". Look for it under my reply to this reader "SL". You can also take a look at the video clip which I have posted under the post "Santa Claus Cake". Hope this helps.As for the frosting, could it be that it has been left at room temperature and it became soft? I used to have this problem as I took a long time to frost a cake! You can leave the frosting to chill in the fridge to allow it to set a little before using it to pipe.

i've just tried making this cake, and its now in the fridge. i used an 8inch lose base pan to chill the cake. its kinda difficult for me to smoothen the top and side.. do u have any idea or tips how to spread the cream smooth on the cake?

abt the sponge cake, i really like your recipe.. infact, i like all ur recipes posted on ur blog.. its so nice and yummy.

oh yeah, abt the sponge cake, mine was too soft.. as in when i try to slice the cake into 3 layers, so much of crumbs coming off fr the cake.. its unlike urs.. so stable and neat.. pls advise.thanks hhb..stephanie

Hi, I didn't have to smooth the side as I simply pour the cream/filling over each layer. The side of the pan will take of it. As for the top, I just spread it with a spatula, then tap the cake pan on the table a few times, and the surface would be quite smooth. After the cake is being chilled, don't touch it, the more you try to spread it evenly, the ugly it will end up. The peach slices also helped to cover up any uneven surface on top. I am not sure what happened to your sponge cake...maybe you have over baked it until it became too dry?? I think after a few more practices, you will be able to achieve a nice sponge cake, happy baking!

Hi Stephanie, I am so glad that the cake turn up well ;) Sometimes I really get very worried coz most of the time the recipes I posted here were my first attempts and I am concern whether it would also work well for others who want to try it.

Hi HHB, Your cake looks so lovely. I just tried but unfortunately failed. :( it didn't rise and looks like "kuih". Think I folded too long. Can I check if the gelatine is the jelly powder type that u're using? Thanks so much. Not giving up. Gonna try again soon.

Hi HHB,Your cake looks so lovely and am sure it tastes wonderful 2. I tried it today but was not successful. Turned out like "kuih". :( Think I folded for too long. Am going to try again soon. Can I check if the gelatine u use is the jelly powder gelatine? Thank u!

Hi HHB,such lovely cakes u have and so well done. I tried the peach and mango yoghurt cake today. Turned out like "kuih". Is it because I folded too long and used normal whipping cream instead of non dairy? Where can I get non-dairy whipping cream and can I use Jelly powder gelatine? Thank u very much!

Hi Juls, I don't think it is the folding, I think more likely it is the type of gelatin you are using. I use this brand "Bake King" gelatin powder (available at most local supermarkets), NOT those Jelly powder gelatin (that comes in a pack with different flavours, did u use this type?), maybe that's why your cake turn kuih-like? The difference between non-dairy and dairy cream is that, dairy cream will give a richer taste. I get non-dairy cream from Phoon Huat.

I have try making this recipe, it taste yummy, the mangoes yogurt give the cake a very refreshing taste. My family like it very much, will definitely try making it again.

But there is still same area that i need your advise, as i find it a little too difficult to fold the puree into the whipped cream, so can we whisk the mango puree together w the non-dairy cream? Do u think it will still work?

Hi Anonymous, I didn't have the problem you encountered, I fold the whipped cream to the puree not the other way round, did you fold the puree to the cream instead? I don't think you can whisk the cream together with the puree, you may not be able to whip the cream??

I have used this recipe b4 but instead of mango & peach, i changed to strawberry for my mil's birthday as she cant consume mango. the cake tasted like ice cream, very yummy. will definately try out ur original version. thanks.

Can I chill the cake overnight instead of 3-4 hrs? CAn I just leave the cake in the fridge as it is? or I need to put it in a cake box? "Remove cake from fridge, unmold and decorate as desired (pipe rosettes or borders using the reserved mango filling in step 10). *Keep the cake in the fridge before serving*.

*Need to store in a cake box?*May I know where i can get cake box/container?I went Phoon Huat, they only have those white plain box with low height which is for cakes with less than 6cm in height.

Your other post on birthday cake (sponge cake)What do you do after filling and fosting?Consume it immediately?How do u store in fridge? with or without cake box?

- You can chill the cake over night, 3-4hrs is the minimum.- You can leave the cake in the fridge, cover the top with cling wrap (easy to do so since it is still inside the cake pan).- After you have removed the cake from the pan, decorated it, you can leave it uncovered for not more than 1 night...the sponge layer may turn a little hard if left longer. Best is to cover it.-You can get a plastic cake container, like those from Lock & Lock to store your frost cake. - I usually consume the frosted cake within the first two days after making. I store mine in a plastic cake container (not air tight), a recycled cake container from Secrets Recipe ;)You can also try look for disposable plastic cake containers from SKP shops (http://www.partyware.com.sg/).

THank you for your prompt reply.I baked this last night. :)It is now siting inside my fridge with the disposable plastic cake container from SKP after goggle for it.Will do the decorations later. Hope it turns out nice... Happy 8th Wedding Anniversary!

Some questions to clarify:> What is the texture of the cake after baking? Mine was a bit wet, it did not turn brown, color was a bit light and I thought it was not cooked even after 35mins in the oven. I thought it was becoz I left it on the lowest tray so I shifted it to a higher tray for another 10mins. still not brown. I used a toothpick to test the centre of the cake....DRY so I took it out to cool. it felt spongy when I inserted the toothpick thou)> I couldnt slice the cake to 3 layers as it was a short cake, it didnt rise at all. (did anything went wrong)> I tried the cake by tasting the trimmed sides, tasted like 鸡蛋糕. (Is it right?)

Hi New Baker-the sponge cake shouldnt be wet, and the top surface should be golden brown. Maybe your cake was under baked because of the oven? Maybe your oven was not preheated to the right temperature, you need an oven thermometer to make sure it is well preheated, you can't rely on the temperature setting/dial/indicaotr. You can get an oven thermometer from Phoon Huat...about $12-15.- you should be able to slice it into 3 slices, about 1.5cm-2cm thick per slice. The cake should rise upon baking. It could be due to the beating of the eggs and sugar mixture, or you could have deflated the mixture when you Fold the flour into the mixture. The finished batter should still be quite thick, and when u pour it into the pan, it should still leave trails behind, not suppose to be thin and runny.- yes, the cake tastes like 鸡蛋糕. I use pure vanilla extract (not artificial vanilla essence), it gives a very nice fragrance to the plain sponge cake.

Hi HHB,I think it could be under baked.I didn't use any oven thermometer but my oven was preheated for at least 40mins coz it was a brand new oven and it needed to be on for 20mins for first use! :)Well, the cake turned out to be very nice! soft & fluffy! My hubby actually wanted to share just 'one pc' of cake with me but after his first mouth, his eyes were wide opened and wanted another pc all to himself! Haha!!!My children love it too!May I ask if this cake suppose to taste like ice cream cake?Coz mine did not taste like one.....

I made 1 litre of Mango ice cream from it too...It's creamy and nice! Did I get the texture right? Hee... Thanks!

Hi New Baker, glad to hear that you cake turn out well. No, this is not an ice cream cake as the filling is soft and not the whole cake is not kept in freezer. Yes, the mango ice cream should be creamy, coz of the whipping cream. hope this helps.

Hi hhb I just tried your sponge cake recipe and my cake didn't rise up much, only 1/3 of the tin. I also used an 7" pan, think the egg mixture wasn't beat till ribbon or I deflated too much air bubbles when fold in. I was already being very careful. My first attempt and failed miserably. Thinking if I want to redo and make do with this low cake. Sigh...

Hi Violet, I understand how you felt...may be u can still go ahead to make the filling, but instead of layering the cake, just use the sponge as a base, fill the top with the filling and let it set. Your will have a short cake though, but it will look like one of those non bake cheesecake...but the mango filling is really good.

I redo the cake and the 2nd cake was a successful so conclusion was I used cold eggs so the egg batter didn't get up to ribbon like for the 1st attempt. Wasn't able to eat the first one cos it taste like Huat kuai so threw it away. Then when come to decorating, I realised my peach was quite small so I made quite a mess when decorating it. Another blunder was I added mango pieces to the whipped cream then realised that when I frost the cake the mango pieces will be outside the cake. Really silly of me! Violet

Btw, my 2nd cake turns out a bit dry, not sure if I over baked the cake or the recipe is like that. I'm trying to make another sponge cake next week, can advise which of your sponge cake recipe I can try to make a soft and moist one. I read through your blog, but seems like you have tried a few different sponge cake recipe.

Hi Violet, great to hear that you managed to find the cause of the problem, yes, always use room temperature eggs. I always use this sponge cake recipe for 18cm pan size. The sponge cake tends to be on the dry side as there is little fat used, and the sugar amount is not that much too. Sugar not only acts as sweetener, it also helps to keep the cake moist. So for using this type of sponge cake layers, usually you will need to brush some syrup over. I didnt do it for this mango cake version as I feel that the filling is able to keep the cake layer moist. Remember to cover the cake when left in the fridge to prevent the cake layers from drying up.

Also, do note that homemade sponge cake, especially for the recipes I followed and posted here, is not comparable to those store bought ones, be it from factories or from bakeries. The reason is, there is no addictives/emulsifier used, such as ovalette (a kind of cake emulsifier), and no sponge cake mixed is used...sponge cake mix has got emulsifier added to it (if you check the labels). Emulsifier will make the cake soft and light and stay fresh longer.

So for homemade cakes, what we can do is, make sure we dont over bake the cake...check at least 5 mins before the baking time is up...and make sure the oven is preheated to the right temperature so that the cake will brown/cooked by the recommended time, so that u wont tend to leave it in the oven longer, not sure you know what I mean? sorry for the long explanation, ignore me if you feel that it is unwanted advice. I have not attended any baking class, everything is self taught, I am no professional baker and can only speak from my own experience...hope u understand.

Hi hhb, thanks do much for your advice. It's good enough for home baking. Will try brushing some syrup over for the next cake, probably will be using one of your strawberry shortcake recipe. Wish me good luck Violet

Hi, yes I used Bake King brand, but there was no fishy smell, the powder was odourless (at least to me) and after soaking in water, I didn't detect any smell. I have not made anything with gelatin powder lately, so I am not sure whether there is any change in the product? Maybe you can use gelatin sheet instead of powder next time?

hi, i wanted to try this cake but there is some confusion whether to put the cake in the fridge or freezer and when we have to serve the cake it well chilled or do we have to take some hours in advance

This cake looks good!! and im going to try to make it soon! I just have a question. Will the cream 'melt'? Because i intend to bring it outdoors for a surprise birthday date (approx 4 hours) and im afraid the heat will affect the cream.

Would like to try this cake out and went to PH to get the non-diary whipping cream. However the Red Man brand only have 1 type and it's 1litre. It only stated Whipping cream on the packaging. It doesn't say it's non-dairy. Is that the correct one? Din dare to buy. In case it's not that one.

And for the 1litre pack, how long can I keep it for if I don't use up tmr whole box?

Hi VY, thanks for reading my blog :) Yes, that should be the one, it is stated on the carton as "whip topping for cakes and pastries". It comes in 1 ltr pack only. When I opened the carton, I will pour whatever I dont require into a glass jar with lid, and freeze it. It can be kept frozen for a few months. Thaw it in the fridge before using.

Hi Jessie, sorry to hear that your cake didn't turn out as expected. No, there is no need to separate the eggs. The sponge cake is made by whole eggs method. You may want to take a look at my video clip here (http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2008/12/matcha-adzuki-again.html)Although it was for a roll cake, but the method to prepare the batter is the same. You need to beat the eggs mixture until it triple in volume, becomes thick and leaves a ribbon like trail when u lift up the beater. The finished batter should be quite thick (see my video after pouring onto the baking tray, the trail will not disappear immediately) and not thin and runny. hope this helps.